The Afterglow.

WAKER

You find yourself craning your head and peering at her when she moves, as if you're surprised by it—she seems like she's only half-there, like she's not one to move, or emote, without reason and conscious thought. You think she's expressive, but in her own way, yet the seemingly random way she just decides to park herself close to you takes you by surprise. Because, it's not just close, it's, well, pretty much as much as you can snuggle up to someone without actually touching them. There's not a lot of air between your folded wing and hers.

Something about it takes your breath away. It makes you want to do a lot of things at the same time—like awkwardly move away, or equally awkwardly spread your wing across her back, or ruffle her forelock. She's confusing to you, not through any fault of her own, but just because she makes your body confused.

But after a second or so of giving her that wut look, no resentment, just bewilderment, you catch a little of the cool breeze radiating from her body. Oh, you think, shifting your wing against your side. Perhaps the idea of extending it across her back isn't so bad after all. You don't have to lay it against her, just get it out from between the two of you, so whatever chill she's spreading can touch your flank directly, without the insulating feathers...

You don't really dare to, though. You flash her a small smile as a silent thanks, blue-rimmed ears flicking to her tale.

There were similarities to how she found herself here, and how you did. She had been searching for her mother's homeland, and you had been heading towards the southern rampart.

She turns to look at you, but you barely see it; your face is a mask of sudden loss, her story a visceral reminder of what you'd gone through, and how you'd never made it. What did they think of you, back home, when they couldn't find you? When you had neither arrived, nor been felled along the way? Did they think you a coward, who had abandoned them in their time of need..?

Or are they all dead..?

You swallow. "I'm sorry to hear that," you say quietly, something sad touching your pale eyes. "What land were you looking for? Have you tried to leave the Rift? Is it even possible?"

Ma, I wasn't ready.